


high on sin

by summercourtship



Category: Tanz der Vampire - Steinman/Kunze
Genre: F/M, It's really a, Scene Study, Slight Canon Divergence, sad vampires womp womp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23998132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summercourtship/pseuds/summercourtship
Summary: Life is for the living, and we are no longer among them
Relationships: Sarah Chagal/Graf von Krolock
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	high on sin

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote most of this many months ago, but only recently got around to finishing it and now, posting it. It’s really just a glorified writing exercise, examining one of my favorite scenes from Tanz (and going into a bit of canon divergence, as well). ♡

After living in a village of bleak midwinter for one’s entire life, where everything was drained of its color in favor of the pale grey sky reflecting off the snow, any color seemed vibrant in comparison. Even the dullest shades would take on brilliant hues, the color brought out in its fullest. But the red of her gown was practically illuminated in the dark ballroom, moonlight streaming through high windows, casting the room in an eerie glow. In her dreamlike state, the flickering of the candles scattered around on chandeliers and candelabras seem to mimic the stars outside. 

She feels drunk on the excitement of the night to come. And like a drunk, perhaps she wasn’t thinking as clearly as she should have been. 

Sarah’s skin is paler than usual against the rich scarlet of her ballgown, tulle and silk and beading creating a vision of a nightmare. She descends the winding staircase, faintly registering the voice in the back of her mind begging her not to trip. She scans the gathered crowd in the ballroom, looking for the one familiar face among the gaunt sea of vampires. When her eyes catch on his, her heart skips a few beats. Everyone in the room seems to stand still at this, as if just recognizing their guest. 

The Count stands out even amongst the other vampires, tall and imposing, a contrasting dark figure to the dust covered skeletons around him. He’s dressed in his finest, not that he wasn’t wearing beautiful clothing beforehand. But this was.... enchanting. Alluring, and her senses immediately hone into him.

He gestures to her to come closer, and she eagerly closes the gap between the two of them. He pulls her close, and she tilts her head up to look at him. His eyes, once full of passion, are now empty. He runs a long finger down the side of her face, surprisingly gentle, before gripping her chin and jerking her head to the side. The sudden movement causes Sarah to instinctively raise her arm, her body trying to defend itself against the impending attack, but the Count simply swats her hand away as if it was nothing. A second of nothing before a sudden burst of pain in her neck. She wants to cry out, but her voice has disappeared, has been gone since she descended those stairs and felt his predatory gaze on her. The pain, however, slowly dissolves into something much more pleasing, and she raises her arm again, but this time to keep him in his spot. She places her hand on his hair, and he stiffens slightly under her touch. Smirking, she lets out a soft sigh, right into his ear, and she could swear that he groans against her skin. 

And then, just like that, he’s done, tossing her aside like a ragdoll, like she’s nothing. She’s barely registered that she’s hit the ground when she’s up again, now twisting and turning around the dance floor. Her head lolls, sleep threatening to take over her mind. It would be so easy to just succumb, but there’s a glint in the Count’s eye that keeps her from allowing herself to stop. In the mirrors lining the wall, it looked as if she was simply dancing in an empty room, a child dwarfed by the magnitude of the space. The same gentle hand from before turns her gaze away from the mirror and onto the Count’s own face, blue eyes oddly melancholy in contrast to the blood staining his mouth. _My blood,_ she thinks, numbly. 

She wonders if she tastes good.

He swipes a quick finger across the puncture wound on her neck, pulling the puckered skin slightly. She winces at the feeling, but he quickly pops the finger into his mouth. His eyes flutter slightly, and she answers her own question from the look on his face. _She does taste good._

He continues to lead her around the room, her feet dancing despite the heaviness of her head. She wonders why she hasn’t passed out yet. They both ignore the Professor and Alfred’s attempts to grab her attention, and a pang of grief passes through her when she considers their fate. But one more look into the Count’s eyes has her forgetting anything but him. 

It’s only a few more minutes when she knows that she’s changing. She tries to pull away from him, the sudden pain in her head too much to handle, but he pulls her even closer. They’re barely dancing at this point, just swaying back and forth as he steadies her convulsing body. He leans closer, murmuring words of comfort into her ear, hushing her cries of pain. 

With one last sob, her mouth is full of two new fangs and Sarah takes a step away from the Count. The ballroom she had been standing in, magical and illuminated, now seems dull and lifeless. The colors no longer have their vibrance, now as dull as the town she grew up in. 

The Count notices her looking around the room, confusion clearly written clearly on her face. 

“What… Why is everything so… bleak?” She asks in her quiet voice. 

“That’s how life is for us, my pet. Life is for the living, and we are no longer among them.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from Kyla La Grange’s Vampire Smile.
> 
> I actually really like the trope of vampires having heightened and beautiful senses after their transformation, i.e. Interview with the Vampire or Twilight BUT I think that the depressing version works better for Tanz der Vampire.


End file.
